


over the rim of the world

by lesbianmxgicians (kaianieves)



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: F/F, Mentions of Quentin's Death, Pre-Femslash, References to Depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-27 19:20:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20051215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaianieves/pseuds/lesbianmxgicians
Summary: Everyone is moving on. Moving on so fast that they can't see that Alice is standing still. No, not standing. Slumping, rotting. Julia finally seems to pause, and she sees.





	over the rim of the world

Julia sees the signs before anyone else does, apparently. Because Alice starts eating less and sweating more, and one day she goes to bed early and wakes up late. She never does that, not since… Not since Quentin.

Margo and Eliot are out somewhere on the town, Penny bought his own apartment months ago and Kady's not even in the state this week. Everyone's just been so busy  _ moving on,  _ Julia included, that she guesses no one noticed when Alice started picking at her spaghetti al dente and not brushing her teeth.

She's curled up in the fetal position when Julia knocks on her door, which is pushed open at the action of her knuckles on the wood. Her hair is messy and all over the pillow. Her hands are together, fingers wrapped around each other. It doesn't even seem like Alice notices she's there.

It smells like rot in this bedroom. That's one of the things Julia notices aside from Alice's physical state. There's several plates and bowls stacked at the corner of the dresser. Stepping closer, she can see the tiny flies surrounding the days-old food.

Julia doesn't know what to do. Usually she knows what to do, she's been there when  _ he  _ was like this, like the night before the SATs or the summer before their senior year. But she doesn't know Alice, she realizes. I guess I always thought this could never happen to a person like her, she thinks.

She does the only thing she can think of: Julia gets into the bed beside Alice and just lays there. He always said that times like these always felt so lonely, that it always felt like he was alone with his thoughts that were just chasing each other in circles. That having someone there, someone like Jules just  _ existing  _ there with him made things a bit better.

Julia doesn't know if this will help Alice. Alice isn't Quentin, and nobody is the same. But if she can make things even a little bit better, by just laying here, she'll try.

And minutes later when Alice detaches one of her hands from the other and reaches it up so that her fingertips touch Julia's, she holds Alice's fingers between her own. She's here now, and she doesn't know why she didn't notice before but she has, and she's  _ here. _


End file.
